How to Properly Boil Shrimp

Overcooked shrimp can ruin a shrimp cocktail.

Boiling shrimp is a simple technique that often is done incorrectly. In shrimp cocktail, boiled shrimp shares the stage with cocktail sauce, and overcooking will lead to tough, tasteless shrimp that no sauce can save. It is a fundamental process with three steps: boiling the water, boiling the shrimp and using an ice bath. This is a professional restaurant technique easily done at home.

Things You'll Need

• 1 qt. water
• 1/2 medium-sized lemon
• 1 lb. shrimp
• Saucepan
• Stove
• Colander
• Ice
• Oven mitts

Instructions

1. Boil water in a saucepan, then add lemon juice and remaining shell. Add shrimp and do not cover.

2. Place a colander in the sink and fill with ice.

3. Remove the shrimp from the heat source immediately when they begin to return to a boil. This happens quickly, around three to four minutes, but times may vary according to the number of shrimp being cooked.

4. Put on a pair of oven mitts and pour the shrimp into the colander filled with ice. The hot water will melt a lot of the ice; add more ice if necessary. Run cold water over the shrimp at the same time. The ice bath stops the shrimp from cooking any further.

Tips & Warnings

• For larger recipes, continue to use 1 qt. water for every pound of shrimp.

• Using lemon juice and lemon rind removes the gamy, fishy taste from the shrimp.

• This technique works well for all sizes of shelled and un-shelled shrimp.

References

• What's Cooking America: All About Shrimp